[Tues, 28 May] Acts 4:32-5:11 (552 words; 2/7)

Now there is an amazing episode in the life of the new church which brings out a different dimension of the holy awe of the presence of God. As we saw when we read Leviticus together, the proximity of God brings great blessing, but with it great danger, which has to be carefully managed by the laws and regulations that God gave to Moses to set up the priesthood. In this tiny community -- where all the world's Christians are still gathered in one city -- the presence and the power of God with the apostles is particularly strong. Indeed, their idyllic situation of brotherhood and favour has not yet been diluted. They are still at a size where the apostles are involved in the practicalities of dividing out donated properties. Indeed, the money is brought directly to the apostles! This will soon change in ch. 6. 

But right now, a new threat emerges for the nascent church, this time from within. When the devil attacked the church through the authorities, the immediate effect was greater faith. So now he changes tactic; instead of using the pressure of force, he uses the pressure of greed, pride and deceit. He finds a weak spot in the community in the form of the couple Ananias and Sapphira (5:3). Can he introduce sin into this holy community? Can he discredit their collective testimony? Are they really the people of God? 

In 4:32-35, Luke again paints the ideal nature of this community. Everyone treats their property as though it belonged to everyone else. This is Luke's way of saying that they are always poised to sell it if it is needed, or that they sell anything considered surplus. This is not communism! Private property still exists, as Peter will emphasise (5:4). But their attitude was such that it effectively didn't, because they were so concerned to meet any need, rather than accrue things for their own benefit. 

But notice how Luke interweaves v. 33 in this description: he shows that part and parcel of this practical commitment to each other is the testimony of the apostles: "With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all." The quality of life that this community had was part of the powerful testimony of the apostles to the resurrection of Jesus. People could hear their eyewitness testimony, and look at what sort of community they were, and one thing fit the other. Truth, integrity, credibility -- these are all at stake when Ananias and Sapphira try to hide their greed with lies. 

Luke does not spell out why the judgement of instant death is meted out to this couple. It is God Himself who does it. But the result is "great fear" in v. 5, repeated in v. 11, for all in and outside the church. By the severity of this judgement and its instantaneous supernatural character, God shows that Peter and the rest of the apostles are prophets. It proves their relationship to the truth, as Peter knows what was done in secret, and pronounced God's judgement. And it proves the holiness of this community, not just in terms of their commitment to righteousness, but in their proximity to God, like priests serving in the tabernacle.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

[Wed, 22 May] Acts 2:14-41 (842 words; 1/3)

In yesterday's reading, the Holy Spirit fell on the gathered believers and they began praising God in various languages. Luke records that all who saw and heard this were "amazed and perplexed" (2:12), but, whereas some wondered at its significance, others simply dismissed it as drunkness. Peter responds to both reactions and explains what is really happening, what it means, and how to respond. Peter turns to Joel 2: "In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh..." (Acts 2:17). What you are seeing and hearing is not drunken raving but the pouring out of the Spirit, and not some occasion like when the Spirit fell on Saul and he started prophesying (1 Sam 10:10-12), but a new thing altogether. The Spirit is poured out on all people, male and female, young and old, slave and free. At this point, Peter does not know about God's plan to include the Gentiles, so that 'all people' really will mean 'all people...
Read more

[Tues, 21 May] Acts 2:1-13 (565 words; 1/2)

Here we come to the beginning of the Church with the pouring of the Holy Spirit. Peter will explain to the crowds what all this means in tomorrow's reading, but for today, we concentrate on the moment itself and the initial reaction it from the crowds. As we shall see repeatedly in Acts, some are impressed and persuaded, and others react with contempt and unbelief. It shows that even the most remarkable of events can still be dismissed by those who will not believe; there is no event so amazing, nor argument so compelling, that will conquer the hardened heart (cf. Lk 16:31). The action begins in a house where the believers are gathered and sitting down, but, although Luke does not make this clear, it moves into a public space, most likely the temple. Perhaps we should imagine that, after the Spirit has fallen, the believers get up and move outside, speaking all the while in the various languages.  But what has happened? First, there is a sound of violent wind. Then, there is the si...
Read more

[Wed, 12 June] Acts 10:23-11:18 (1018 words; 4/18)

Peter arrives at Cornelius' house, who is very happy to see him! Falling at someone's feet pays special honour and can also be a gesture of supplication. It can also be worship, and this was more likely (and therefore ambiguous) in the east than the west. Outside of Judaism, which kept a stricter boundary between between God and creation, there were numerous levels of divinity, various spirits and even semi-divine humans. It would be surprising if Cornelius really is attempting to worship Peter, given what he knows of Judaism, but he could simply be overwhelmed and grateful, and not a little in awe of a man that an angel has sent to him. I think it is more likely that Cornelius was not actually worshipping Peter, but Peter did not want this gesture to be misinterpreted, and certainly did not want to be seen as receiving worship! Genuine servants of God are horrified when worship is directed away from God and on to them (cf. Rev 19:10; 22:8-9). We will see this with Paul and Bar...
Read more